Judith Butler at our University with "Fascist Passions"

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The conference titled 'Fascist Passions', featuring Judith Butler, is organised by the University of Bologna and the Department of Arts - DAR. It will take place on Tuesday, 7 May, at 5:00 PM at the Pop Up Cinema Medica 4k (Via Monte Grappa, 9 - Bologna), and will be streamed live on the Unibo YouTube channel.

Judith Butler is a key figure in contemporary philosophy. They have been at the forefront of post-structuralist debate, focusing their research on gender, identity, language, queer theories, violence, ethics, and politics.

Following greetings from Professor Cristina Demaria, Delegate for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at the University of Bologna, Professor Ruba Salih of DAR will introduce and moderate the discussion with Judith Butler, focusing on themes from their latest book "Who's Afraid of Gender?" and offering reflections on the situation in Palestine and Israel, central topics in their work in the last few years.

"We are honoured and excited to host Judith Butler at our university, especially in such a critical and fragile moment," stated Professor Cristina Demaria. "The entire university community, together with the citizens of Bologna, will have the opportunity to engage with Judith Butler and reflect on the themes that have made them a key figure in gender studies. We will also explore the topics of violence, conflicts, and fears that define our present, which Judith Butler has addressed in their recent work.”

To participate in the conference (which will be in English with Italian translation), registration on the website is required. Once the capacity of the Aula Absidale Santa Lucia is reached, the live streaming will be available in Aula Giorgio Prodi (Piazza San Giovanni in Monte 2, 40124 - Bologna).

Judith Butler is a Distinguished Professor at the Graduate School and previously held the Maxine Elliot Chair at the Department of Comparative Literature and the Critical Theory Programme at the University of California, Berkeley.

In 1990, they published "Gender Trouble", challenging the naturalness of gender identity and becoming a leading voice in queer theory. In subsequent years, they explored themes of censorship, intimidation, and incitement to violence against minorities and diversity. They have also explored themes of censorship, intimidation, and incitement to violence against minorities and diversity.

Judith Butler is also a member of several organizations, including the Center for Constitutional Rights in New York and the advisory committee of Jewish Voice for Peace. Their interventions on Palestine and Israel and their numerous publications on Jewish thought and critique of Zionism are well-recognised.

Key works include: Bodies That Matter: On the Discursive Limits of “Sex” (1993); Antigone’s Claim: Kinship Between Life and Death (2000); Precarious Life: Powers of Violence and Mourning (2004); Frames of War: When Is Life Grievable? (2009); Parting Ways: Jewishness and the Critique of Zionism (2012); Notes Toward a Performative Theory of Assembly (2015); The Force of Nonviolence: An Ethico-Political Bind (2020). Their most recent work is titled 'Who's Afraid of Gender' (2024).